The present invention relates to floor jacks and more particularly to portable hydraulic floor jacks.
Conventional hydraulic floor jacks such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are known. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the saddle member, which is generally indicated by the numeral 10, includes a rest plate 11 and a stem 12. The jack has a lifting base 13 that receives stem 12 in an opening 14 formed in base 13. In this embodiment, saddle 10 is easily removed from and installed into opening 14 of lifting base 13 of the jack, but cannot be locked into opening 14.
In the conventional floor jack shown in FIG. 2 for example, a saddle 10' has a collar 15' formed at the free end of a stem 12'. An axially extending opening 14' is formed in a lifting base 13'. The axis of cylindrical symmetry of stem 12' and opening 14' is denoted in FIG. 2 by the numeral 17'. When saddle 10' is inserted with collar 15' and stem 12' into axial opening 14' formed in lifting base 13', a locking pin 16' is inserted into a hole that extends transversely through opening 14'. The axis of cylindrical symmetry of the hole that receives the locking cylindrical symmetry of the hole that receives the locking pin 16', extends along a chord of the circle that defines the transverse shape of the opening 14' and thus is offset from the diameter of opening 14'. This relative orientation allows the locking pin 16' to become disposed between collar 15' and the bottom surface of rest plate 11'. Then, locking pin 16' is permanently attached in this position so as to prevent separation of saddle 10' from the floor jack shown in FIG. 2. Locking pin 16' blocks collar 15' from axial movement out of opening 14". In order to assure that saddle 10' remains locked in the jack, locking pin 16' is in essence permanently installed in the hole that transversely intersects opening 14'. The axis of cylindrical symmetry of locking pin 16' is denoted in FIG. 2 by the numeral 18 and is disposed transversely with respect to axis 17.
It would be desirable for a floor jack to be provided with a saddle that was easily removable as saddle 10 shown in FIG. 1, yet securely held in place as saddle 10' shown in FIG. 2.